The present invention relates to a wood sheet-like product, honeycomb and corrugated constructions made from the product and methods and making the product and the particular constructions. The present invention finds particular utility in making wood honeycomb or corrugated wood assemblies for construction, furniture or other purposes.
For many years it has been known how to make honeycomb and corrugated materials. Such products as corrugated cardboard made of paper and airplane wall and wing panels of metal honeycomb are commonplace. They have achieved widespread use because of their light weight and high strength properties and economy when compared with alternative materials which could be used to accomplish the same purposes. In addition to cardboard or paper, corrugated constructions have also been made from such materials as plastic and textiles. Honeycomb constructions have been made from glass fabrics and metal foils as well as sheet metal. The products made from these materials capitalize on the properties of the basic material as well as the corrugated or honeycomb design.
A honeycomb construction can be formed by bending and welding strips of thin lightweight metal to form a core which is then covered with sheets of metal to form a panel. This type of panel capitalizes on properties unique to metal, such as its strength, its ductility, its capability of being welded with strong bonds to itself to create a desirable, although expensive product. A corrugated material, such as cardboard, is used extensively as a packing material. For this use, the product must be strong, lightweight, inexpensive and capable of protecting its cargo from the elements and from damage by handling.
Honeycomb of metal and corrugated constructions of paper are good examples of materials used in a particular mechanical construction to achieve a desirable product. In each case, the product depends both on the physical construction, i.e., the honeycomb or corrugated forms and on the properties of the material used to achieve all of its desirable properties.
A problem in the construction industry has involved the most effective use of a basic building material--wood. Wood is becoming an increasingly scarce commodity because of growing demand. Rising construction costs can be partly attributed to dramatic boosts in wood prices. If a more efficient way could be devised to use wood, the cost of construction could be reduced.
Wood is valued as a construction material for its properties of resistance to weather, its compressive and flexural strength in relation to its weight, its ability to be easily worked, its relatively low cost, and not least, its beauty.
For all of its good qualities, wood does not have the properties of metal, plastic, paper or textiles which enable them to be easily formed into honeycomb or corrugated configurations. It is not ductile like metal or flexible like paper, textiles or certain types of plastics. Instead, wood cracks when it is bent at the angles necessary for such configurations.